Magical Girl Heavy Dependence

Chapter 7, The Magic Kingdom

As the sun completely sank below the horizon, the city's neon lights took over the night sky.

After get off work, Jiang Fei took Cheng Chen home.

"What was your first impression of those three kids?" she asked with a smile, glancing at them out of the corner of her eye from the steering wheel.

"generally."

Sitting in the passenger seat, Cheng Chen yawned deeply and replied lazily, "Lu Baishu and Gui Lingtan are fine, but that black one looks troublesome."

"They are 'Magical Girl Lingxia' and 'Magical Girl Candle Tears'."

Jiang Fei corrected, "We usually don't call them by their real names, hiding their ordinary identities. We only use their transformed appearance in front of the camera, which is also a way to protect them."

"Like a virtual YouTuber?"

"Similar, I suppose."

She nodded noncommittally, then slowly introduced, "These three are among the few trainees who remained in the company. After the original producer jumped ship with Guwu, the positions were left vacant, and they will be handed over to you from now on."

"I was still a bit excited at first, but now I'm starting to lose interest."

Sitting in the passenger seat, Cheng Chen yawned deeply. "None of them seem like easy characters. I have to teach them, help you stabilize the company, and even deal with the Fairy Demoness. To be honest, I'm starting to have second thoughts."

"Can't I just play games in the office every day, and when I'm in a bad mood, I can just call a few subordinates to a meeting all day long, and then tell them, 'Actually, I'm a little disappointed in you,' and enjoy living off your money?"

"If you just want to be a stay-at-home husband and live off your wife, why would I give you a vice president title?"

Jiang Feibai glanced at him, then her expression turned serious.

"And don't talk about things like 'dealing with fairies and demonesses' at the company anymore."

"What? You think I can't beat her?"

"Can you win?"

Cheng Chen leaned back in his chair, his eyes half-closed: "You have that little confidence in me?"

"I just don't want you to risk your life against an opponent of that caliber for my sake."

Jiang Fei gently shook her head. "Each Demoness has been active in this world for countless years. They are beings that transcend the magic evaluation system. Even if you had already reached the peak of the fifth-tier 'Star Calamity' six years ago, you still couldn't be her match."

"Perhaps after so many years in Qiongcheng, I've already broken through my limits?"

Cheng Chen remained as lazy as ever.

"If you had already reached that level, you wouldn't have come back at all," Jiang Fei said bluntly. "Back then, when you chose to go to Qiongcheng, wasn't it because you received an invitation from that 'Cloud Demoness' to find a way to break through? All these years of research have been for the purpose of going even further."

The carriage remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Fei's tone softened: "You've found a backer, and staying at Sky Dome University is far more promising than returning to Yin City. It was my insistence that you come back... It's not worth it to make enemies of Fairy Demoness like this."

Cheng Chen raised his hand and tapped her on the head:

"Whether it's worth it or not is something I need to consider. Don't always presume to think of things for me and make decisions for me."

Jiang Fei is right.

He went to Sky City University after receiving an invitation from the "Cloud Fairy".

Like the Fairy Demoness's "Dream Ball," Sky University is a super-large-scale magic that can only be cast by those who have reached the Demoness level. It combines magic with modern technology to create an unimaginable magical realm, which is their kingdom.

Cheng Chen's system was immediately seen through by his mentor.

The mentor didn't find it novel; she simply regarded it as some kind of inherent magic that could help people enhance their magical power. Although this spell was complex, she could create something similar by spending time and effort.

In order to break through to a higher level, Cheng Chen has been working with his mentor to study the analysis system for six years and trying to improve it... Jiang Fei, a magical girl who is 100% dependent on Cheng Chen, knows all of these things.

However, what she didn't know was that the research had already made a breakthrough.

This is the real reason why Cheng Chen was willing to come back.

Jiang Fei, whose head had been hit, puffed out her cheeks slightly as she stared at him.

"Stop acting cute."

Cheng Chen simply lowered the back of his chair, crossed his arms, and said calmly, "Let's put the fairy and demon princess matters aside for now. Tell me first, what exactly should I, as the producer, do?"

"snort!"

Jiang Fei turned her head back sharply, leaving behind a pouty profile.

The red Qimingxing X7 drove out of the bustling business district and into the winding streets and alleys of the old city. As dusk fell, the neon lights outside the window resembled strings of flowing colored threads, and the familiar yet unfamiliar street scenes rushed past.

"Producers are responsible for almost every aspect of their idols' lives. Rather than being teachers or superiors, they are more like guides, leading them onto the right path."

Although she tried to be coquettish, she still answered Cheng Chen's question slowly.

"The vast majority of trainees under the Sound Palace sign with the company voluntarily. Among them are many high-ranking characters who have been wild magical girls for several years and then actively joined us. We are more professional than most private magical girl groups. Not only is our organizational structure more modern, but we can also provide them with better treatment."

She took a breath and rubbed her temples: "But there are indeed a small number of people... who didn't come here of their own volition."

"Like that magical girl who threw a tantrum in your office today?"

Cheng Chen responded.

The female CEO chuckled self-deprecatingly: "That's right, very domineering, isn't it? Forcibly bringing people into the company and forcing them to become idol trainees."

She paused briefly, her tone turning serious: "Actually, the company will try its best to establish contact with and invite only children who are given special attention by the association and have been given special labels."

"Special label?"

Cheng Chen knew very little about the Magical Girl Association.

"Um."

Jiang Fei nodded, thought for a moment, and explained concisely: "It refers to individuals with special identities and abilities, or whose personalities are unpredictable, who may abuse their power without cause due to the defilement of their 'Wish' and cause serious harm... The three children you met today all belong to this category."

Who set this standard?

Cheng Chen remembered that when he was still the Demon King, he had never heard of these rules and regulations.

"The Black Judge hails from the Kaleidoscope Prison, one of the three great magical kingdoms."

Jiang Fei slowly applied the brakes and parked the car under a lush banyan tree at the intersection of the old street. She had booked a very private, upscale dinner restaurant there as a memento of their long-awaited reunion.

"Six years ago, not long after you went to Qiong City, a major event occurred here. An ancient magical seal was broken, and the being sealed inside escaped... Later, envoys from the three major magical kingdoms appeared. Before that, almost no one had heard of their existence."

"【Kaleidoscope Prison】As the name suggests, it is a prison. The Black Judges claim that they have the mission of monitoring all magical girls and judging those evil magical girls who use magical powers at will."

Jiang Fei didn't explain much, as most people were unaware of the detailed origins of these suddenly appearing magical kingdoms.

She paused briefly before saying, "For example, the child I argued with used her magical powers to attack ordinary people, causing death and injury."

"Our 'wish' can grow through people's love, but it can also be tainted by their hatred, even if the source of the hatred is someone who is traditionally considered wicked."

"She used magic to protect herself and her friends, but because of that trace of filth, she was marked by the Black Judge... If the filth spreads, she will be forced to participate in the 'Witch Trial,' stripped of her power, and lose her life."

"So that's why you handed her over to me, wanting me to help her?" Cheng Chen asked calmly.

Jiang Fei smiled casually: "We'll do our best. The filth cannot be washed away. Neither the fairy princess nor the Black Judge are beings we can handle. Yinfu Entertainment has always received strong support from the Magical Girl Association, which is why they are willing to accept the marked children and discipline them to prevent the filth from worsening."

"No producer in the company is willing to take on that child, and no magical girl wants to approach her. But if we do nothing, isn't she too pitiful?"

Cheng Chen nodded, offering no objection.

His identity is very sensitive, and most magical girls would not want to have any dealings with a demon.

Only those "unqualified" people who have nowhere else to turn are likely to side with him.

Jiang Fei's arrangement seemed to be dumping the most difficult and troublesome problems on him, but in reality, it was the only way for him to gain a foothold in this company.

After parking the car, Jiang Fei suddenly fell silent.

She probably felt that since they reunited, she had been talking about work and dumping a lot of pressure on him.

She reached out, her icy fingertips climbing up Cheng Chen's forearm.

Jiang Fei didn't dare to meet Cheng Chen's gaze, her voice growing softer and softer: "I'm actually very useless. I've been overwhelmed with problems every day lately, and I don't dare to show my timidity in front of others. I was only able to say so much after seeing you again. I feel much better now."

She lowered her head, speaking with extreme shyness:

"……Thanks."

Cheng Chen stared intently at her. Looking at the beautiful figure that came into view, he felt as if he had returned to that summer evening with its noisy cicadas, and saw the girl who was squatting by the grass, crying helplessly as she tried to save a kitten.

"Don't rush to act cute, there's still one crucial question."

However, he coldly pried open Jiang Fei's fingers.

Jiang Fei trembled, hesitated, bit her lip, and then nodded: "Okay, go ahead and ask."

"What are the salary and benefits like for a vice president?"

He suddenly spoke, his tone returning to its usual calm and indifferent manner.

Jiang Fei's eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes wide.

Cheng Chen glanced at her: "If you can't even explain these things clearly, how can people feel at ease going to work... You agree, right?"

"puff."

Jiang Fei burst into laughter through her tears, hastily raising her hand to wipe away the water droplets overflowing from the corners of her eyes, unsure whether it was from embarrassment or from genuinely crying.

"Don't you know how to read the contract yourself when you sign it? Idiot!"

……